Assassinating the Empress in the Name of Heaven's Justice—You Really Aren't a Good Person
Assassinating the Empress in the Name of Heaven’s Justice—You Really Aren’t a Good Person
Below the seat of honor, Jun Fan, who had been watching Empress Yao Xi’s every move, clenched his fists even tighter at this sight, rage surging within him, deeply displeased.
In his eyes, the way Gu Changge and Empress Yao Xi were acting right now was simply far too intimate.
Since when did Xi Yao, the Empress of the Demon World, personally pour wine for a man? Still, he endured with all his might, waiting for the moment to strike.
“Your Majesty need not be so courteous.”
Gu Changge smiled, then said with some surprise at her expression, “Though it seems your tolerance for liquor isn’t very good.”
“How could my tolerance be poor...”
Empress Yao Xi shook her head. At this moment, her expression had grown somewhat hazy, and she seemed barely able to sit upright.
“See, you’re about to faint.”
Gu Changge was somewhat surprised. He reached out to steady her, his manner perfectly natural and proper, without the slightest overstep or attempt to take advantage.
Empress Yao Xi’s face flushed faintly. After being steadied by Gu Changge, she managed to sit upright again.
She didn’t know why, after just one cup today, her head felt so dizzy, her limbs so weak, and even her vision had turned blurry.
“Something’s wrong. This isn’t a matter of alcohol tolerance...”
“How is this possible...”
At that moment, Empress Yao Xi’s expression suddenly shifted, her brows knitting tightly as she sensed a terrifying wave of weakness sweeping over her.
Yet she remained seated at the seat of honor; from the outside, there was nothing unusual about her at all.
But at this moment, a dreadful chill crept uncontrollably up her back, and her hands and feet turned ice-cold.
Her first reaction was that she had been poisoned! And poisoned without anyone noticing.
“What’s wrong?”
Gu Changge seemed to notice the change in her expression and asked with some puzzlement.
“I’m fine.”
Empress Yao Xi shook her head slightly, forcing herself to calm down.
But everything before her eyes was slowly turning blurry, and even her Knowledge Sea was in complete chaos.
Not to mention her cultivation power, which now ran wild like a horse off its reins, rampaging through her meridians and organs. If she dared to use it carelessly, her body would surely burst apart.
She couldn’t believe that despite all her caution and prudence, she had still been poisoned.
And why was it that everyone else who had drunk the Demonic Fairy Wine was perfectly fine? Could the Demonic Fairy Wine have been merely a trigger? Then when exactly had she been poisoned? Who had done this? As these thoughts ran through her mind, Empress Yao Xi’s heart grew even colder.
Her grip on the palace, inside and out, was so firm—yet an enemy had still managed to infiltrate it.
This was simply unimaginable.
And at this moment, waves of dizziness swept through her mind, her entire body felt utterly drained of strength, and she could barely even remain seated.
Empress Yao Xi’s face turned uncontrollably a few shades paler.
At this moment, an unprecedented weakness enveloped her.
In the six thousand years since she had taken control of the Demon World, this was the first time she had ever felt this way.
She had been poisoned without even knowing how.
This clueless, helpless feeling was simply like drowning.
Could it be Jun Bufan? Had he come to take revenge on her? Still, Empress Yao Xi relied on her formidable willpower to maintain her composure and calm.
“What exactly is wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Seeing this, Gu Changge frowned slightly.
Then, ignoring her struggles, he grabbed her wrist, appearing deeply concerned.
Though it was as delicate and flawless as immortal jade, it was ice-cold, without any warmth at all.
Inwardly, he was actually somewhat surprised.
Although he had long anticipated that Empress Yao Xi would be poisoned at the Banquet of Prodigies and that something would happen, he hadn’t expected the poison to take effect this quickly.
Empress Yao Xi was, after all, a being of the Sacred Emperor Realm, yet in just a short moment, she had fallen into a state of weakness.
But this worked out well—Jun Bufan had happened to create a perfect opportunity for him.
“Gu Changge, let go of me. I’m fine.”
Empress Yao Xi shook her head, struggling to break free, her face still maintaining its composure.
Gu Changge slowly released her wrist and shook his head slightly. “You’ve been poisoned.”
“I know.”
Empress Yao Xi kept her face calm.
Though everything before her was a blur and she couldn’t muster even a shred of strength.
She still showed not the slightest unease or cowardice.
As the Empress of the Demon World, she still possessed this much poise and bearing!
“Are you sure you want to keep pushing yourself?”
Gu Changge smiled and poured himself more wine, drinking at his leisure, showing no intention of stepping in to help for the time being.
“At a time like this, I cannot fall.”
Empress Yao Xi shook her head, her words utterly steady and unchanged.
But the next moment, she couldn’t help toppling sideways, and Gu Changge smoothly caught her.
“So this is your excuse for falling into my arms...”
Gu Changge laughed, light as a breeze.
“Keep your hands where they belong.”
Empress Yao Xi was secretly annoyed by his attitude. Even at a time like this, Gu Changge was still making snide remarks! Though she couldn’t deny it—at this moment, feeling Gu Changge beside her, she suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of security.
Meanwhile, in the distant mountain ranges, many people had already noticed something wrong with Empress Yao Xi.
“It seems Jun Bufan’s scheme is working.”
“Could he actually succeed?”
Bai Lian’er’s brows furrowed tightly, finding it somewhat hard to believe.
“What’s wrong with Her Majesty? Why did her expression suddenly change like that...”
The Quelling Chaos King felt uneasy, his brows equally furrowed as he gazed from afar at the peak of the Sacred Mountain.
In his view, Empress Yao Xi had been chatting merrily with Gu Changge when her expression suddenly changed, and she nearly toppled sideways.
If Gu Changge hadn’t steadied her, she would likely have already fallen by now.
But now, Her Majesty had actually... collapsed...
“Her Majesty must have been poisoned. There was poison in the Demonic Fairy Wine.”
The Grand Tutor, who had watched Empress Yao Xi grow up, quickly noticed something was wrong. His expression shifted, and his voice turned heavy.
The moment these words came out, the surrounding high officials, who had been puzzled, all changed color drastically, their hearts shaken with disbelief.
She had been perfectly fine just moments ago—why would Her Majesty suddenly be poisoned? And why were the others who had drunk the same Demonic Fairy Wine completely unaffected?
“Secure the perimeter! Beware of assassins!”
The Quelling Chaos King was the first to react, roaring directly before striding forward.
Vast and terrifying pressure transformed into rolling demonic clouds that churned through the sky, blotting out all directions.
He unleashed his mighty Sacred King Realm cultivation, wielding a purple-gold great axe, standing tall in the sky with a Dharma Body ten thousand zhang high, sweeping his gaze imperiously across the surroundings.
Hearing this furious roar, the minds of all the Demon Race beings buzzed, as if a great bell had been struck beside their ears, leaving their minds blank for an instant.
“What? Assassins? How could there be assassins...”
Some reacted with utter disbelief.
“Protect Her Majesty the Empress!”
But even more beings of the Demon World began bringing out their weapons, warily scanning their surroundings.
In an instant, the place descended into chaos.
The patriarchs of the great Demon World clans also furrowed their brows, dispatching their clansmen to patrol and keep watch in all directions.
Her Majesty the Empress, under assassination attempt.
This wasn’t the first time they had encountered such a thing, but it had never felt as wrong as it did today.
The assassins and traitors of the past had all been like moths to a flame, with no power to resist whatsoever, simply throwing their lives away.
In the palace of the Sacred Mountain, Qing Zhu, the female attendant behind Empress Yao Xi, now wore a look of delight, frantically signaling to Jun Fan with her eyes.
Jun Fan nodded, satisfaction showing in his heart, and crushed the Jade Talisman in his hand.
“The time has come. Xi Yao, everything you did to me six thousand years ago—today I will repay it all in full.”
His eyes were ice-cold.
And having done all this, he remained seated cross-legged where he was, as if still refining the medicinal power of the Demonic Fairy Wine, as if he knew nothing at all.
Even though Empress Yao Xi was now in a weakened state.
There was no way Jun Fan could harm her—he had at least that much self-awareness.
So from beginning to end, he never planned to personally strike or reveal himself in this assassination. Orchestrating everything from the shadows was enough.
Boom!!! The very instant Jun Fan crushed the Jade Talisman in his hand.
“Kill!”
“Empress Yao Xi is cruel and commits every evil imaginable! Today we shall carry out Heaven’s justice and overthrow her rule!”
“Kill! As long as we kill Empress Yao Xi, our Demon World can return to peace and stability!”
From the mountain ranges in all directions, battle cries suddenly erupted.
Numerous Demon Race powerhouses charged out, their auras mighty, coming from all corners, having hidden themselves well until now.
Now, they all brought out divine weapons of every kind, their radiance dazzling, charging toward the Sacred Mountain to kill Empress Yao Xi at its peak.
At the same time, divine runes shot skyward one after another, transforming into vast, surging energy that swept out in all directions.
It was terrifying energy, like countless stars exploding, so blinding that no one could keep their eyes open.
The shockwaves alone collapsed mountain ranges and split open horrifying fissures.
All the Demon Race beings who had come to observe the ceremony began fleeing in every direction.
Many had no time to react and were directly blown apart by the earlier shockwaves, reduced to mists of blood, body and soul annihilated.
For a time, this place became like an Asura hell, filled everywhere with wails and screams.
From many of the great Demon World clans, figures also charged out—people who had hidden for years, now displaying mighty and terrifying strength, slaughtering in all directions.
From the Black and White Academy, elders also charged out, their killing intent soaring to the heavens, rushing toward the peak of the Sacred Mountain, determined to slay Empress Yao Xi.
Over the years, the rebels from various regions, the former Remnants of the Five Demon Overlords—upon learning of such a perfect opportunity, they naturally would not let it slip by.
At a single command from the mastermind behind it all, they all revealed themselves, attacking from every direction, surrounding the Sacred Mountain.
Even though Empress Yao Xi had made preparations, the Asura Guards she had dispatched were nowhere near enough, retreating step by step, rapidly collapsing.
Dong!! Between heaven and earth, terrifying and unfathomable fluctuations interwove, as if the void itself was about to shatter.
Two Sacred King Realm powerhouses were clashing. The Quelling Chaos King, wielding his purple-gold axe, was locked in great battle with a mysterious Sacred King Realm expert.
Their exchanges were supremely domineering, like an Astral River crashing down upon the mortal world, smashing everything in all directions into ruin, threatening to reduce this place to ash.
Mountain ranges collapsed, the void trembled, and horrifying great fissures split open.
Sacred Realm, Sacred Noble Realm, Sacred Lord Realm, and even Sacred King Realm!
At this moment, powerhouses of every level were appearing and joining the battle. The place fell into chaos, demonic qi blotting out the sky and sun, making everyone tremble.
“Protect Her Majesty the Empress.”
At the peak of the Sacred Mountain, watching this scene, Song Youwei and the others changed color drastically, unable to imagine that a perfectly good Banquet of Prodigies would end up like this.
Even some of the prodigies beside them suddenly erupted, attacking toward them, attempting to bring out Forbidden Weapons to grievously wound the now utterly weakened Empress Yao Xi.
“Assassins!”
“Protect Her Majesty the Empress!”
Jun Fan now also seemed to finally react, his face full of shock as he brought out his own weapon, warily looking around.
At this time, the many armies Empress Yao Xi had dispatched were all locked in fierce combat, the fighting brutal, rapidly collapsing.
She had never imagined that this assassination attempt would involve such a massive commotion—not just the Remnants of the Five Demon Overlords, but even some of the great Demon World clan rebels she had purged over the years had come charging in as well.
Empress Yao Xi was poisoned, utterly weak, unable to bring out her original strength.
For them, this was the best possible opportunity, one that could not be missed.
“Your Majesty, rest assured. As long as we are here, we won’t let anyone take half a step into this place.”
Jun Fan’s gaze swept toward Empress Yao Xi at the seat of honor as he spoke loudly, as if to demonstrate his loyalty, bringing out a heavenly blade in his hand, its edge astonishingly sharp, vigilantly staring ahead.
Hearing this, the other young prodigies also spoke up one after another to show their loyalty.
“Brother Jun Fan, I’ll leave this side to you. I’ll go check the other side.”
Song Youwei spoke up on her own initiative, holding an Ancient Mirror crystalline as jade in her hand, radiating waves of Sacred Realm pressure.
Hearing this, Jun Fan nodded and said with concern, “Then you must take care of yourself. There are many assassins now, and plenty of powerhouses will surely rush to our position soon. If you can’t handle them, be sure to protect yourself and don’t push yourself too hard.”
Song Youwei found it a bit strange that he would say this, but feeling that Jun Fan’s concern didn’t seem feigned, she still smiled and replied, “I know. Don’t worry, Brother Jun Fan.”
With that, her figure moved, her dress fluttering, heading down from the mountain peak to block some of the assassins charging up.
Though a woman, her moves at this moment were incomparably fierce and ruthless. The Ancient Mirror she brought out reflected boundless divine radiance, transforming into chains of law that slashed down, her killing intent soaring to the heavens.
More and more assassins emerged from every direction, surging toward the peak of the Sacred Mountain like a tide.
Those resisting them retreated step by step, rapidly collapsing. Though they held the advantage in numbers, their true strength was far inferior.
This time, the Asura Guards who had accompanied Empress Yao Xi to the Sacred Mountain were actually not many.
The combat strength of the other armies was clearly a large tier weaker.
As for the supreme powerhouses at her side, they were even scarcer.
Because her own strength was formidable, and she carried the Nirvana Grade Artifact of the late Lunar Demon Overlord—once activated, even a true Emperor Realm being would have to be wary.
Under these premises, she had never worried that anyone in the Demon World could defeat her head-on or assassinate her from the shadows.
“It seems, Your Majesty, that you’re more likely than not to meet your end today. The true powerhouses probably haven’t even shown themselves yet.”
Gu Changge spoke casually, seemingly not caring in the slightest about this rebellion.
Behind him, numerous powerhouses appeared, their auras terrifying—all subordinates who had accompanied him to the Demon World this time, from the various ancient clans of the Immortal Domain and the Chaotic Star Territory.
Jiang Luoshen and the Godly Illusion Clan powerhouses she had brought were not present here.
Empress Yao Xi sat cross-legged where she was, eyes tightly shut, brows furrowed, attempting to force the poison out of her body.
Hearing his words, she said in a calm voice, “Today’s events were my carelessness... But could it be that Young Master Changge long ago predicted someone would come to assassinate me, and that’s why you’re not surprised at all?”
“Or is your nonchalance because you have other plans?”
When she was first poisoned, she had actually suspected Gu Changge, but that thought had only flashed by for an instant.
Anyone at her side could have poisoned her—anyone except Gu Changge.
And now, hearing Gu Changge’s unconcerned voice, what little unease she had left also largely dissipated.
Gu Changge shook his head and denied it. “No, how could I possibly know everything?”
“As for other plans? Your Majesty, you’re now in crisis—isn’t this exactly the moment for me to play the hero saving the damsel?”
Hearing this, Empress Yao Xi couldn’t help but laugh, her mood relaxing considerably, the corners of her mouth curving up as she half-joked, “Could it be that Young Master Changge plans to take advantage of my misfortune and force me to offer myself in marriage?”
“Mm, that is precisely my intention.”
Gu Changge nodded, seemingly quite frank.
“If Your Majesty agrees, then all is well. If you don’t agree, the people behind me might just make their move right now.”
“Young Master Changge, you really aren’t a good person.”
Empress Yao Xi was stunned for a moment, unable to tell whether he was serious or joking.
Jun Fan also hadn’t expected that even with things having reached this point, Empress Yao Xi wasn’t worried in the slightest, still laughing and chatting with Gu Changge. His expression turned somewhat gloomy.
In his heart, he urged Uncle Ye to hurry and arrive.
That was a great general who had served under his late father, following his father in campaigns across the land, his strength boundless.
Fortunately, at this moment, everyone was intently watching the assassins attacking from all sides, and no one was paying attention to him.
Meanwhile, in the distance, the powerhouses of many great Demon World clans were still watching and waiting, their expressions rapidly shifting.
Though they hadn’t sent anyone to join the assassination, they also hadn’t come to protect her, merely fighting some of the rebels where they stood.
For them, if Empress Yao Xi were to perish here, that would naturally be a wonderful thing.
They had been harshly oppressed all these years, even forced to hand over many of their cultivation techniques.
Although what Empress Yao Xi had done benefited the Demon World as a whole, it came at the cost of their interests.
But they were also very smart, choosing not to send anyone to join the assassination, instead holding their forces still.
Elsewhere, the Quelling Chaos King and the other Sacred King Realm powerhouses were also being entangled by opponents, unable to attend to anything else, unable to break away to come to her rescue.
Dong!! Just then, terrifying fluctuations came from the distant horizon.
A divine sense that struck terror into everyone’s souls swept over, engulfing this mountain range. All things trembled, and souls nearly froze and cracked.
“A Sacred Emperor Realm being...”
Everyone’s expression changed drastically, and they couldn’t help but want to prostrate themselves on the ground, bowing in worship toward that terrifying aura.